In the End
by lux .veritas .virtus
Summary: Draco Abraxas Malfoy. Hermione Jean Granger. Both talented, both magical. But, they're both from very different worlds. When they are thrown together as Heads of Hogwarts, what will ensue? Draco might just have some problems with the arrangement... I suck at sumaries. Please Read and review! Rated M for language and later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**Ok, guys. This is my first fic, so go easy on me. Please read and review. Gently. VERY gently.**

**:D**

**So, here goes nothing!**

Hermione Jean Granger looked out of the window and sighed, content. Her summer had gone well, and the Dark Lord was gone, giving her a sense of freedom. Twirling a strand of her auburn hair, the girl wondered how Harry and Ron were holding up in the Prefect compartment with Pansy Parkinson. She smirked at the thought of her two best friends trying to put up with the pug faced twit of a girl. Her eye caught a reflection of something ridiculously shiny in the glass pane of the window, and her smirk turned into a grin as she looked down at the front of her robes, where a large, well polished badge was pinned right above the Hogwarts Crest. Her mind wandered back to the day when she received the good news during the summer holidays...

**Flashback**

"Hermione, dear! Could you please call the boys down for breakfast? Molly's busy in the kitchen, and Ginevra's helping me with the table."

"Ok mum! And tell Molly not to work herself too hard. I'll be down in a second to help her with the bacon!" Hermione called as she flew (not literally) up the stairs of The Burrow. As she continued up the flights of stairs, Hermione smiled at the thought that her parents had been warmly welcomed by the Weasley family. Initially, her mother and father had expressed their concern over the fact that they might disrupt the Weasley way of life (which was, obviously, a magical one), but Molly and Arthur would hear nothing of it, and soon enough, Drs. Granger were shaking hands with more red heads than they had ever seen at one place. And they were all related! Jean Ganger soon became friends with Molly, and all the Weasley men adored Harold Granger, who had decided that the Weasley clan were the Granger's extended family, and he even took a liking to the twins, and the three men would often sit down and discuss the different pranks that Harold had pulled off as a teen.

Hermione was panting slightly by the time she reached the wooden door of the bedroom that the boys shared. She smiled at the notches carved into the door, remembering how Harry, Ron, and her used to have competitions to see who grew taller over the summers. Of course, Ron won every time. Still smiling, Hermione pushed the door open and rolled her eyes when she saw the motionless lumps laying underneath the covers on the two beds. She reached her hand out to shake Ron, who was closest to the door, awake, when she thought of a better idea. Smirking, the witch took her wand out of her back pocket and aimed it at the poster hanging above Ron's head. The blond girl who spent most of her time dancing around the poster looked a bit fearful, but relaxed when Hermione winked at her.

"_I__nanimatus conjurus_" she whispered, her wand pointing directly at the poster girl's face. There was a flash of white light, and by the time Hermione blinked the spots out of her vision there was a pretty, skinny blond with big doe eyes staring straight ahead, and the poster behind her was empty, a pair of pompoms lying on the ground. Hermione stepped closer to her and looked her straight in the eye, and noticed the vacant stare. She leaned over and whispered something in the girl's ear, and quickly stepped behind the bedroom door. She watched as the blond witch, who was actually an animated version of the picture of Regina Tiffith, the insanely famous Chudley Cannons head cheerleader, sauntered over to Ron's sleeping form. Her eyes widened as Regina bent over and hugged Ron from behind, before whispering in his ear, "Wakey wakey, handsome." Ron's form, which had been trying to squirm out of the hug, froze when he heard the voice. His hands came into view from under the sheets as he gripped the covers and yanked them down. He turned his head to the left to see who exactly was waking him up.

"Oh my... bloody hell!" the ginger whispered, his green eyes widening at the sight before him. Behind the door, Hermione stifled a giggle at the boy's expression. Suddenly, Ron jumped out of bed.

"Just a minute Regin... err, Miss. Tiffith." he stammered. Regina smiled and flipped her hair, and Ron gulped, his eyes following her every move. Hermione rolled her eyes and thought, "Boys..."

He hurried past the Hermione, who was still concealed behind the door, and she caught him muttering something about needing mouthwash as soon as possible. Hermione struggled to keep a straight face as she pointed her wand at a picture of Ginny that was hanging on the wall across from Harry, who was miraculously, still fast asleep. After the customary flash of light, a very grown up version of the ginger girl that Hermione had first met eight years ago was standing in front of Harry's bed. Hermione felt a twinge of jealousy when she saw Ginny's beautiful red, and straight, hair. She quickly strode over to the duplicate of her best friend and gave her a simple command, before sitting down on Ron's bed to watch the show.

Harry Potter was having a wonderful dream about a certain younger sister of a certain best friend. The dream involved a bed, some chocolate sauce, and a _lot_ of kissing. He felt a pair of small hands running through his hair and sighed. Suddenly the hands started traveling from his head, to his neck, to his stomach, and then lower... lower... lower... With a jerk, Harry realized that he wasn't dreaming anymore when he heard giggling. He forced his eyes open and bolted upright to see the girl of his dreams, Ginny Weasley, groping him shamelessly with a dreamy expression on her face. His jaw dropped, and then he spotted someone else behind her. Now, the Boy-Who-Felt-Really-Confused-But-In-A-Good-Way almost screamed. He heard the giggles again, and quickly pushed Ginny's hands away (reluctantly, mind you. He IS a boy) before turning to see Hermione Granger sitting on Ron's bed and giggling her head off.

He ignored her raucous laughter and stuttered out, "Mione, is t-that... Regina Tiffith? And why is Ginny gro- wing up?" Hermione stopped laughing long enough to give him a weird look for the question. Harry looked pointedly at the door, where Ron was standing, dressed in a tuxedo. Hermione took one look at him and burst into giggles once again. Harry, who noticed the empty poster and photo frame as well as the vacant stares on the two girls who were supposed to be in them, started to catch on and he stared intently at Hermione. Ron was oblivious to all this, as he walked over the Regina and kissed her hand. Hermione was now laughing so hard that there were tears streaming down her face, and Harry grinned at her. Harry's smile shocked Hermione out of her hysteria and she glared at him, before realizing that her spell had weakened when she had been laughing, hence sending the girls back to their photos. Ron was still on his knees, his lips puckered, and this time Harry burst into laughter, with Hermione joining in. Ron quickly stood up and brushed off his shoulders before glaring at the two of them. He surveyed his two best friends before forming an evil idea. He smirked and quickly jumped on Hermione, and proceeded to tickle her. Soon, all three of them were rolling on the floor in a tangle of limbs, and their laughter echoed around the room.

After a few minutes, the trio were headed downstairs. Hermione walked ahead of the boys and listened to Harry teasing Ron about his failed attempt to kiss the 'love of his life'. When they finally reached the ground floor of the Burrow, Hermione ordered them to take a seat at the table, before entering the kitchen to help Molly. She ignored the protests from the Weasley matriarch as she levitated the plates of food and headed back towards the sound of voices at the table. As she neared, she heard Ginny squealing and Ron say, "Well, it's not surprising is it? We all knew she'd get it!"

Hermione entered the room and, with a wave of her wand, set the plates down on the table. Ginevra Weasley beamed at her before bounding over and hugging her tight.

"Oh, Mione! Congratulations!" Ginny squealed before pulling away and taking a seat in front of Harry, who was trying to avoid eye contact with the beautiful red head who had been the object of his dreams. Puzzled, Hermione opened her mouth to ask about all the fuss when her gaze landed on the Hogwart's letter in Ron's hand. Her eyes widened and Ron grinned at her.

"Did I... Am I... Is it really...?' Hermione was too nervous to comprehend the meaning of Ginny's wishes and the proud looks on her friend's faces.

"Yeah, Mione, you really did it! You got Head Girl!" Harry grinned, his green eyes sparkling behind his glasses. Hermione was speechless. She reached out for the letter in Ron's hand, and he handed it over. Quickly scanning the parchment, Hermione couldn't believe the words that she was reading.

_Dear Miss. Hermione Jean Granger,_

_We, at Hogwarts, are delighted to inform you that the staff has unanimously elected you as the Head Girl for the year 1999. _

_We hope you treat this position with respect, dignity, and honor. You will be taken to your new common room along with the Head Boy on your arrival to Hogwarts. If you face any problems, feel free to contact us. You will be given further details at school. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment._

_Sincerely,_

_Minerva McGonagall_

_Headmistress._

"Ron, Harry, did you get anything?" Hermione suddenly remembered her friends, and felt quite guilty for not asking earlier. Ron and Harry nodded before lifting up their Prefect badges. Hermione looked at Ginny, who smiled and held out a small leather pouch. Gently, Hermione took it and untied the drawstring. The pouch fell open, and there in her hand, was her badge. It was gold, with her name written in red letters. Underneath that, the Hogwarts Crest was engraved along with the words "Head Girl". Hermione closed her hand around the badge and grinned. It was going to be a good year.

**End of Flashback**

Hermione was jolted out of her happy thoughts by the sound of the compartment door sliding open. She took a deep breath, realizing that the Head Boy had entered. She was burning with curiosity to know who it was, because the letter had no hint of the other. However, before she could turn around, she heard a cool voice say, with a hint of agitation, "Why, hello there Granger. Come to ruin my year, have you?"

"No..No, it can't be! Please, kill me now" Hermione thought, her thoughts in a flurry of panic. Slowly turning around, she looked up into the aristocratic face of Draco Malfoy.

**Ohhhh...**

**Hermione's stuck with Draco? That can only mean one thing! Trouble.**

**OR... romance?**

**Who knows? Let's wait and see, shall we?**

**My exams just started guys, so it may take some time before I upload Chapter 2, but it will be up within a week, promise. :)**

**READ AND REVIEWWWW!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Alrighty! This is the next chapter, just like I promised. **

**BTW, Fred Weasely isn't dead in my fic. :) I love him too much.**

**Please review, guys! I really want to know how you feel about the fic so far. Do you love it? Hate it? Any suggestions? Tell me!**

**Ok, so here it is! CHAPTER TWO *dun, dun, dunnnn***

"M-Malfoy?" Hermione stuttered. "What are you... You're Head Boy?!"

Draco merely gave her a sharp nod. Hermione searched his robes for any sign of a badge, but he wasn't wearing one. She watched as he reached into the pocket of his robes and looked up at his face. Draco held the eye contact for about five seconds, before pulling his badge out of the pocket and pinning it on. Smirking slightly, he slid onto the bench in across from her. Hermione crossed her arms and closed her eyes, trying to block out the fact that the very person who had tortured her for the last seven years was going to be living with her. What was Professor McGonagall thinking? Hermione was sure that by the end of the night, one of the two Heads would be found lying dead in the common room allotted to them. Actually, both of them would probably be found dead.

"You know Granger, I could have pulled my wand out and hexed you just now," Draco said softly, while looking nonchalantly out of the window. Hermione's eyes flew open, and she looked at him skeptically before saying in her most sarcastic voice, "Sure, Malfoy. You'd hex me on a crowded train on the way to Hogwarts, because no one would suspect _you_." Hermione noticed Malfoy clench his jaw and saw a flash of anger in his normally emotionless gray eyes. He turned and fixed his heated gaze on her, causing Hermione to squirm in her seat under his scrutiny. She was uncomfortable, and felt slightly self conscious because of the searching look that he was giving her. After a few silent moments, she decided to speak.

"Malfoy, you can stop -" Suddenly, he moved towards her, and Hermione stiffened, her hand closing around her wand in her pocket. She pressed her back against the seat, feeling apprehensive as Draco leaned down and placed his hands on either side of her head. She looked him straight in the eye and tried not to visibly inhale. He smelled like soap, and freshly mowed grass, which she thought was a strange combination. She was snapped out of her analysis of the smell when he brought his lips close to her ear and whispered, "Don't underestimate me Granger. I'm a powerful person. And I'm just as talented as you are. Who knows? I may just slit your throat in your sleep. A few galleons here and there, and I'd be off the hook. Simple." Hermione shuddered, partly from the implications of what he said, but mostly from the feeling of his cool breath against her ear. She felt like she was supposed to be angry, or defiant, but all she could think about was his hair tickling the side of her forehead. She turned her head slightly, and saw that the Draco had closed his eyes. She glanced at his hands, which were now curled into fists. The train started moving with a jolt, and Hermione was struck by the fact that she was literally only two inches away from Draco Malfoy, and that he had just threatened her. She placed her hands on his chest and pushed him, but to her dismay he didn't budge. Draco straightened up and calmly went back to his seat, this time sitting closer to the door. Hermione jumped to her feet and opened her mouth to retaliate to the threat he had made, but whatever she had planned on saying died in her throat when the Slytherin closed his eyes.

With an frustrated sound that sounded like a cross between an explosion and a huff, Hermione settled down again, vowing not to pay any attention to the object of her annoyance. "Just ignore him, he's trying to make you angry, just ignore him." Hermione chanted under her breath. She leaned her forehead against the cool glass of the window and watched as drops of rain started to fall. She followed the little droplets with her eyes, watching as they hit the glass and ran down int in little rivulets. She had always loved watching the rain. The sky outside had darkened, and the lights of he compartment grew brighter with each passing second. She marveled at the ingenuity of the lights, which adjusted automatically according to the weather. Even though she had been learning magic for the last seven years, it never ceased to amaze her. Hermione yawned, felling slightly drowsy, but she didn't feel like sleeping. She wouldn't want to admit it, but the truth was that the comment the Slytherin had made scared her a bit, so she decided against sleeping.

Sighing, Hermione noticed Draco's reflection in the darkened glass. His eyes were still closed. She observed his face, searching for a miniscule flaw anywhere, but there were none. He looked relaxed when he was asleep, and his features were so sharp against his pale skin that Hermione thought he looked like a perfectly carved statue, made of the purest white marble. She noticed that his hair wasn't slicked back, and he had let it grow a bit longer. That would explain the strands that her tickled her when he had cornered her. Hermione felt a surge of self pity. Why was it that everyone in the world seemed to have perfect hair, except for her? Ginny's was pin straight, and the colour was such a rich, deep red that Hermione often wondered if it was her natural hair color. Malfoy's hair belonged to a separate class altogether. Now that it wasn't slicked back with gel, she could see how silky and soft it really was. Platinum blond strands shone even in the unflattering light of the train, and they fell perfectly across his forehead in a casual disarray, softening his pointed features somewhat. Hermione knew that her friends (even Ginny) often swooned over his looks, but until now, she had never taken to the time to even notice. Reluctantly, Hermione silently admit that he was quite the looker when he wasn't sneering at her. Her gaze travelled further down, landing on his hands, which were resting on his lap, and Hermione was suddenly struck by the beauty of his fingers. They were long and slim, but the skin looked rough. She glanced down at her own hands, which were small and plain. She had always wanted to learn how to play the piano, but she hadn't ever gotten time to learn. Besides, she didn't think that her stubby fingers would take her very far. When Hermione looked back up at the window, she saw a pair of mercurial orbs staring straight at her. She momentarily froze, wondering whether Draco knew that she had been watching him. She whipped around, only to see that his eyes were closed. Confused, she searched his figure for any sign of movement, but he hadn't budged.

"What am I doing?" Hermione thought, finally realising that she had spent close to twenty minutes watching Malfoy.

"I must be going crazy!" she thought. Hermione abruptly stood up, shed her robes, and with one last look at the blond boy, she left the compartment. The moment the door slid shut, Draco opened his eyes again and looked at the place where she had been sitting, wondering what the Gryffindor would think if she knew that he had been watching her.

**Hahaha, that was kinda short... **

**Stay tuned guys, cuz the next chapter has an exciting scene in it. :D**

**I've already written the chapters in a notebook, but it's taking forever to type them up, so bear with me, kay?**

**Okie dokie, R&R!**

**Kisses-**

** .virtus**


	3. Chapter 3

**Okay guys, Chapter 3! :) This one's dedicated to my bestie, cuz her birthday was yesterday. :D**

The dimly lit passage was empty. As she walked by compartments, she realized that most of the students were asleep, because almost all of the rooms were darkened. Other than the Heads compartment, only one of the many rooms in lining the passage on her side of the train had a light shining through the frosted glass of the door. Hermione squinted as she tried to see the door to the restroom at the end of the passage.

"Honestly, would it be too hard for them to install those bloody weather controlled lights in other parts of the train?" Hermione grumbled out loud, just as she was passing the lit compartment. The laughter and voices inside died down, and Hermione heard a voice ask, "Who was that?"

Blushing furiously, Hermione sped up. The restroom was only three doors down, and soon she was inside, slamming the door shut and sliding down to a crouching position. She rested her head on the tops of her knees and groaned. "What the bloody hell was I thinking?" she asked herself. First she was ogling Draco Malfoy, the very boy who had once sent her to her dorms, crying, when he had first called her a Mudblood. She remembered writing a very tear stained and strongly worded letter to her mother that day, and it was the beginning of the tormented years she had to live through because of that Pureblooded swot. But no, Hermione's insanity didn't end there, she was now imagining things. How else would she explain why she had thought that Malfoy had been staring at her? He probably thought that looking at her for too long would burn his eyes, for she was a Mudblood after all, right?

Concerned for her own health, Hermione stood up and examined her image in the mirror hanging above the sink. She checked her eyes for redness, and pressed her forehead against the glass to test if she was sweating excessively. She decided that she just looked a bit pale, probably because of the confusing series of events that had taken place after she had found out who the Head Boy was.

Hermione leaned down and turned on the tap, before splashing the cool water on her face and neck. She stood up again and looked at the curly haired, petite girl in the mirror. The girl looked confident, much more confident than the real Hermione actually felt. Hermione pulled her hair into a loose bun and leaned against the door again. One thing she needed to figure out before she went back to the Head's compartment. Why was Malfoy acting the way he was? Normally, his customary greeting to her was a simple insult, and the accompanied name calling. And Hermione would always retort with a scathing comment about ferrets, and then they would carry on, each with their respective lives. To be honest, Malfoy had never shown a lingering interest in her, always focussing more on Harry and Ron. She had always supposed that it was because he didn't want to spend too much time on a person with 'filthy' blood. But this newfound attention that she was receiving was quite unusual, and Hermione didn't know how she planned on surviving the year ahead. She was so used to the empty comments and insults that Malfoy threw at her, but the way he had spoken to her today genuinely frightened her. This didn't seem like name calling anymore.

Hermione's slightly frightened thoughts changed to full-blown terror when she remembered her friends. What would Ron and Harry think? They'd probably kill Malfoy, or start a tirade, or pretty much anything that would thoroughly publicize this incident.

Suddenly Hermione remembered another time, about four years ago, when she had been having similar thoughts. "No, Hermione. Don't go there." she thought to herself, anxiously watching as tears appeared in the eyes of the girl in the mirror. Hermione's breath sped up, and her head started pounding. She tried to take deep breaths like her muggle doctor had shown her, attempting to resist the urge to swallow a pill. Finally, her resolve broke, and Hermione stopped her shaky attempts and reached for her little blue bottle, the one that she always carried for moments like these, wishing for relied from the pain and anxiousness she was experiencing.

As her hand brushed against the wooly material of her skirt, Hermione groaned. She had stupidly left her outer robes in the compartment, along with her only chance of stopping the tears threatening to overflow.

_Hermione..._

Hermione's head snapped up, and she stared into the mirror in horror. They had started. Already, she could feel memories begin to bubble and erupt suddenly, like hot magma, searing through her head. She was hearing a voice, calling her name frantically. _His_ voice, sweet and soft, but filled with terror.

_Hermione... Hermione..._

_A flash of honey coloured hair._

Gasping, Hermione whipped around and stared at the wall above the toilet. She closed her eyes, and whimpered, still hearing the sweet voice. Like music to her ears. As it continued to call her name, however, the tone changed. The voice acquired an accusatory tone, and soon all Hermione could hear was the boy's voice, screaming at her, blaming her.

_It's your fault... Why?... Hermio-_

"NO! I'M SORRY!" Hermione sobbed. She was standing with her back against the countertop, covering her ears with her hands, trying to block out his voice. Tears were streaming down her face, and with a loud bang, she ran out of the confined room, suddenly feeling claustrophobic.

As she raced down the corridors, the voice followed her. She wasn't able to run straight, and kept veering too close to the walls. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a tall figure emerged from a compartment, pointing his wand at her.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't the Queen of the Mudbloods!"

**Ooooh! What's happening to Hermione?**

**Who is the mysterious figure?**

**Keep reading to find out!**

**R&R!**


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